My Billionaire Cowboy

“Wait, Mr. Nice Guy just walked off?”

Kate nodded.

“Honey, tell me what happened.”

Kate recounted the details.

“He’s right.”

“Oh no, not you too.”

“I’m afraid so friend. Bruce is right. If you want him, go for it. What is the problem?”

“Linda, it’s not that easy.”

“But it is that easy. You are the one making it difficult. You and only you.”

Kate sighed. “I think I get it.”

“Oh, but I don’t think you do. Maybe you should give yourself time to think about it, Kate. You have to make a good decision for yourself. Now I hate to leave you, but I have a date tonight, so I have to go. Are you going to be okay?”

“I will. And thanks for the listening ear.”

The two women hugged and Linda left Kate on the bench, trying to collect herself and her thoughts.

*****

Going home, all she could do was think of what had happened at the park. It had not seemed fair, especially since she expected things to go another way. Bruce was supposed to be happy that she wanted to be with him and that she was not worried about the fact that he was a millionaire. She just wanted to be with him.

She spent the night trying to fight the tears and fight the urge to call Bruce. It just did not seem like he wanted to speak with her and definitely not until she got things together in her mind. Kate decided she would give it a few days and wait until he called her. Maybe if she put the ball in his court, he would help guide them to being together.

Instead, she spent the better part of the week waiting on him to call. When he did not call, she knew the gravity of the situation. She knew he did not want to deal with her immediately.

Kate began to think about what was going on. She knew she had found the person she wanted to be with. She had to want it bad enough. Bruce wanted to be with her bad enough that he showed her daily. He told her daily. And what had she done? She had not reciprocated. She needed to do the same for him and show him the same affection.

What she had in mind to do just had to work.

Kate went out, picked up a few things for dinner and called a delivery service to send a small surprise to Bruce and she sat back and hoped that he would call when he received his invitation to dinner.

She went about making dinner; risotto, baked salmon, and twice baked sweet potatoes. She opened the wine, lit the candles, and waited to hear from Bruce. The invitation asked him to arrive at six o’clock. It was five minutes to.

The music was playing softly and Kate tried to busy herself waiting for him to show up. At six o’clock, there was no knock at the door. She was just about to lose hope when there was a knock at the door.

Her heart skipped a heat. He was here.

She practically skipped to the door.

Kate took a deep breath as she opened the door.

“Hello.”

Bruce tried to look serious, but he smiled when he saw Kate standing there.

“Hi. How are you?”

He kissed her, handing her one white rose.

“Thank you. I am fine. Much better now that you are here. I was nervous that you would not come.”

“I would never get your invitation and not show up.”

She invited him inside.

They sat down to dinner with each other and had a comfortable conversation. Kate was happy they were able to return to a relaxed banter.

“Dinner was lovely. The company was even better.”

“I agree,” Kate replied. Sitting there by candlelight, they were more intimate than they had been in a while and for Kate, it felt good just to have conversation if nothing else.

“I missed you,” she confessed.

“Kate, I must admit that I missed you too.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “That is so good to hear.”

Bruce poured them both another glass of wine.

“This is perfect. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Alright,” he picked up her glass and handed it to her and took his own as he followed her. They went to the balcony and outside where the weather was warm for a spring night.

“It’s beautiful out here.”

Bruce sipped his wine. “Beautiful weather and beautiful company. What could be better?”

“Are we going to just be friendly all night?” Kate was almost impatient when she asked him that question. “Because I don’t want to be friendly all night.”

“What do you propose we do then?” His question was almost taunting.

“True story. I was at work and in walks this guy. He can’t dress, complete fashion victim.” She laughed as Bruce made a funny face.

“So anyway, he walks into the boutique. There is something kind of endearing about him. I take him on as a client, go to his house for a fitting, and out of the blue, he asks me to go grab something to eat with him. I do, and find out that he’s actually pretty good company. So we have good conversation, another date, and figure out we are pretty compatible. Have a lot in common, more than I thought we ever could.

“Here’s where it gets good. This guy is intriguing, supportive, and an all around great guy. The kind of guy a girl would be a fool not to be with. But here I am, not expecting to fall for anyone. Not expecting that anyone would come my way when I was simply trying to build my career,” she sighed. “He came along when I was trying to build my career and protect my heart.”

She suddenly became nervous. She would have to divulge a vulnerable part of herself. “I had no clue I would ever want to give myself to anyone like I want with him. He makes me want more out of life. He is that spontaneous spark I have always wanted to have, but he is also that calming spirit that could slow me down when I work too hard. And to boot, he’s a freaking cowboy. I don’t know how I’m going to make this happen, you know, me and him. But I can’t see it any other way.”

Bruce laughed. “A freaking cowboy, huh?’